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	<title>ASUS KCMA-D8 desktop/workstation board</title>
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	<div class="section">
		<h1 id="pagetop">ASUS KCMA-D8 desktop/workstation board</h1>

			<p>
				This is a desktop board using AMD hardware (Fam10h <b>and Fam15h</b> CPUs available). It can also be used
				for building a high-powered workstation. Powered by libreboot. The coreboot port was done by
				Timothy Pearson of <a href="https://raptorengineeringinc.com/">Raptor Engineering Inc.</a> and,
				working with Timothy (and sponsoring the work) merged into libreboot.
			</p>

            <p>
                <b>Memory initialization is still problematic, for some modules. We recommend avoiding Kingston modules.</b>
            </p>

			<p>
				Flashing instructions can be found at <a href="../install/index.html#flashrom">../install/index.html#flashrom</a>
				- note that external flashing is required (e.g. BBB), if the proprietary (ASUS) firmware is currently installed.
				If you already have libreboot, by default it is possible to re-flash using software running in GNU/Linux
				on the kcma-d8, without using external hardware.
			</p>
			
			<p>
				<a href="index.html">Back to previous index</a>.
			</p>
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	<div class="section">
		<h1 id="cpu-compatibility">CPU compatibility</h1>
			<p>
				<strong>Use Opteron 4200 series (works without microcode updates, including hw virt).</strong>
				4300 series needs microcode updates, so avoid those CPUs. 4100 series is too old, and mostly untested.
			</p>
	</div>

	<div class="section">
		<h1 id="boardstatus">Board status (compatibility)</h1>
			<p>
				See <a href="https://raptorengineeringinc.com/coreboot/kcma-d8-status.php">https://raptorengineeringinc.com/coreboot/kcma-d8-status.php</a>.
			</p>
	</div>

	<div class="section">
		<h1 id="formfactor">Form factor</h1>
			<p>
				These boards use the SSI EEB 3.61 form factor; make sure
				that your case supports this. This form factor is similar
				to E-ATX in that the size is identical, but the position of
				the screws are different.
			</p>
	</div>
	
	<div class="section">
		<h1 id="ipmi">IPMI iKVM module add-on</h1>
			<p>
				Don't use it. It uses proprietary firmware and adds a backdoor (remote out-of-band management chip,
				similar to the <a href="http://libreboot.org/faq/#intelme">Intel Management Engine</a>. Fortunately,
				the firmware is unsigned (possibly to replace) and physically separate from the mainboard since it's
				on the add-on module, which you don't have to install.
			</p>
	</div>
	
	<div class="section">
		<h1 id="flashchips">Flash chips</h1>
			<p>
				2MiB flash chips are included by default, on these boards. It's on a P-DIP 8 slot (SPI chip).
				The flash chip can be upgraded to higher sizes: 4MiB, 8MiB or 16MiB. With at least 8MiB,
				you could feasibly fit a compressed linux+initramfs image (BusyBox+Linux system) into CBFS
				and boot that, loading it into memory.
			</p>
			<p>
				Libreboot has configs for 2, 4, 8 and 16 MiB flash chip sizes (default flash chip is 2MiB).
			</p>
			<p>
				<b>
					DO NOT hot-swap the chip with your bare hands. Use a P-DIP 8
					chip extractor. These can be found online.
					See <a href="http://www.coreboot.org/Developer_Manual/Tools#Chip_removal_tools">http://www.coreboot.org/Developer_Manual/Tools#Chip_removal_tools</a>
				</b>
			</p>
	</div>

	<div class="section">
		<h1 id="graphics">Native graphics initialization</h1>
			<p>
				Only text-mode is known to work, but linux(kernel) can initialize
				the framebuffer display (if it has KMS - kernel mode setting).
			</p>
	</div>

	<div class="section">
		<h1 id="issues">Current issues</h1>
			<ul>
				<li>LRDIMM memory modules are currently incompatible</li>
				<li>
					SAS (via PIKE 2008 module) requires non-free option ROM (and SeaBIOS) to boot from it
					(theoretically possible to replace, but you can put a kernel in CBFS or on SATA
					and use that to boot GNU, which can be on a SAS drive. The linux kernel can use
					those SAS drives (via PIKE module) without an option ROM).
				</li>
				<li>
					IPMI iKVM module (optional add-on card) uses proprietary firmware. Since it's for
					remote out-of-band management, it's theoretically a backdoor similar to the Intel
					Management Engine. Fortunately, unlike the ME, this firmware is unsigned which
					means that a free replacement is theoretically possible. For now, the libreboot project
					recommends not installing the module. <a href="https://github.com/facebook/openbmc">This project</a>
					might be interesting to derive from, for those who want to work on a free replacement.
					In practise, out-of-band management isn't very useful anyway (or at the very least,
					it's not a major inconvenience to not have it).
				</li>
				<li>Graphics: only text-mode works. See <a href="#graphics">#graphics</a></li>
			</ul>
	</div>

	<div class="section">
		<h2 id="specifications">Hardware specifications</h2>
			<p>
				Check the ASUS website.
			</p>
	</div>

	<div class="section">

		<p>
			Copyright &copy;  2016 Leah Rowe &lt;info@minifree.org&gt;<br/>
			Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
			under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3
			or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
			with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.
			A copy of the license can be found at <a href="../gfdl-1.3.txt">../gfdl-1.3.txt</a>
		</p>

		<p>
			Updated versions of the license (when available) can be found at
			<a href="https://www.gnu.org/licenses/licenses.html">https://www.gnu.org/licenses/licenses.html</a>
		</p>

		<p>
			UNLESS OTHERWISE SEPARATELY UNDERTAKEN BY THE LICENSOR, TO THE
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